Austin Fragomen Study Abroad Grant

Thanks to a very generous donation and deep personal commitment to supporting study abroad at UCF, we are very happy to offer the Mr. Austin Fragomen Study Abroad Grant program. To apply for this scholarship you must have first submitted an application and been accepted into a UCF Abroad program. The grant is provided for outgoing study abroad students in good academic standing, with a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrated financial need (must have a FAFSA on file), and attending a UCF Abroad-approved program. 

Both the number and amount of awards will vary depending on factors such as available funding and recommendations from the selection committee. In general, the award minimum will be $1,000.

Additional Selection Criteria

In order to be considered for this award applicants must also meet the following basic criteria;

• Applicant must be enrolled at the university full-time or part-time as an undergraduate or graduate student.
• Applicant is receiving UCF academic credit for the study abroad.
• Applicant must be enrolled at UCF the semester they are studying abroad 
• Applicant is not participating in an internship or research program.
• Preference will be given to students with financial need as determined by the student's FAFSA on file with the Office of Student Financial Services.
• Applicants should be in good standing with the university as determined by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities

Application Procedures

Applications must be submitted in accordance with the deadlines established for the UCF Abroad Scholarships committee.

To apply, students must

• Complete the appropriate award application
• Submit a letter of recommendation from an individual that can speak to your academic performance
• Submit a 1,000 word essay that answers the following;
  • What are your personal and professional motivations and goals for your study abroad experience?
  • How will the study abroad program you've selected help you achieve those goals?
  • What impact do you hope to have on the community and people in your host culture(s) that you encounter? Explain

Award Contingency: All students selected to receive an award must commit to a Global Ambassadorship upon return term here to UCF, participating in events and mentoring students that wish to study abroad in the future. 

Additionally, all student selected to receive an award must commit to regularly documenting their study abroad experience through UCF social media and publication channels, providing content for a minimum of one post per week. All scholarship winners agree to have their name and award publicize in UCF Abroad print and digital publications.

Selection Process and Timeline

After the scholarship application deadline, the following selection process commences;

• All applications undergo an initial review by both the UCF Abroad and Financial Aid offices to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria listed above. For those applications that meet the application requirements by submitting all of the required materials and by demonstrating financial need, a committee review process starts. 
• All applications are reviewed by a committee, with membership selected from the UCF Abroad office, as well as faculty and staff from other units at UCF. 
• The committee members rank scholarship applications using a common rubric based on the selection criteria, as well as the quality of student's submitted recommendation and of the student's personal statement. 
• A list of awardees is then generated based on the committee's rankings and feedback as well as the pool of available funding at that time, which may vary. 
• Recommendations for final awards are then forwarded to the appropriate units for processing, this could take 3-5 weeks depending on the time of year as well as other factors. 

Selection Committee Structure

The scholarship review committee will be comprised of study abroad staff and invited faculty members from the campus community. Faculty members serving on the committee will be selected by the Assistant Director for UCF Abroad each cycle. 

Disbursement Steps

• All applications for awardees undergo a final review by both the UCF Abroad and Financial Aid offices to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria listed above.
• Recommendations for final awards are then forwarded to the UCF Advancement Office for processing, this could take 3-5 weeks depending on the time of year and other factors. 
• Once approved, the scholarship funds are transferred to Financial Aid for posting to the student's account. This could take 1-2 weeks depending on the time of year and other factors.